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How chlamydia is treated

Chlamydia can usually be treated easily with antibiotics . You may be given some tablets to take all on one day, or a longer course of capsules to take for a week.

You shouldn't have sex until you and your current sexual partner have finished your treatment. If you had the one-day course of treatment, you should avoid having sex for a week afterwards.

It's important that your current sexual partner and any other sexual partners you've had during the last six months are also tested and treated to help stop the spread of the infection.

The NCSP recommends that under 25s who have chlamydia should be offered another test around three months after being treated. This is because young adults who test positive for chlamydia are at increased risk of catching it again.

Sexual health or GUM clinics can help you contact your sexual partners. Either you or the clinic can speak to them, or they can be sent a note advising them to get tested. The note won't have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.

If you're sexually active and under 25 years old, you should get tested for chlamydia every year or every time you have a new partner. You can get tested in places such as pharmacies, colleges and youth centres.

Getting tested for chlamydia

The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to get tested.You can get tested whether or not you have symptoms.

If you live in England, you're under 25 and you're sexually active, it is recommended that you get tested every year or when you change sexual partner, as you're more likely to catch chlamydia.

What does the chlamydia test involve?

The recommended tests for chlamydia are simple, painless and generally very reliable.

They involve sending a sample of cells to a laboratory for analysis. You don't necessarily have to be examined by a doctor or nurse first and can often collect the sample yourself.

There are two main ways the sample can be collected:

using a swab – a small cotton bud is gently wiped over the area that might be infected, such as inside the vagina or inside the anus

urinating into a container – this should ideally be done after at least one or two hours since you last urinated

Men will usually be asked to provide a urine sample, while women will usually be asked to either swab inside their vagina or provide a urine sample.

The results will normally be available after 7 to 10 days. If there's a high chance you have chlamydia – for example, you have symptoms of the infection or your partner has been diagnosed with it and you've had unprotected sex with them – you might start treatment before you get your results.

When should I get tested?

Don't delay getting tested if you think you might have chlamydia. Being diagnosed and treated as soon as possible will reduce your risk of developing any serious complications of chlamydia .

You can get a chlamydia test at any time, although you might be advised to repeat the test later on if it was less than two weeks since you had sex as the infection might not always be found in the early stages.

If you're under 25 years of age and sexually active, getting tested every year or when you change sexual partner is recommended because you're more likely to catch chlamydia.

If you have chlamydia, you also should be offered another test around three months after being treated. This is because young adults who test positive for chlamydia are at increased risk of catching it again.

Where can I get a chlamydia test?

You can get a free, confidential chlamydia test at:

a sexual health clinic

a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic

your doctor surgery

most contraceptive clinics

You can go to whichever place is the most comfortable and convenient for you.

You can also buy chlamydia testing kits to do at home, but these aren't always very accurate. If you're considering using one of these tests, speak to your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Treating chlamydia

Chlamydia can usually be effectively treated with antibiotics . More than 95% of people will be cured if they take their antibiotics correctly.

You may be started on antibiotics once test results have confirmed you have chlamydia. But if it's very likely you have the infection, you might be started on treatment before you get your results.

The two most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are:

azithromycin – given as two or four tablets at once

doxycycline – given as two capsules a day for a week

Your doctor may give you different antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or erythromycin, if you have an allergy or are pregnant or breastfeeding. A longer course of antibiotics may be used if your doctor is concerned about complications of chlamydia .

Some people experience side effects during treatment, but these are usually mild. The most common side effects include tummy pain , diarrhoea , feeling sick, and vaginal thrush in women.

When can I have sex again?

You shouldn't have sex – including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom – until both you and your partner(s) have completed treatment.

If you had the one-day course of azithromycin, you should avoid having sex for a week after treatment.

This will help ensure you don't pass on the infection or catch it again straight away.

Will I need to go back to the clinic?

If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic.

However, you will be advised to go back for another chlamydia test if:

you had sex before you and your partner finished treatment

you forgot to take your medication or didn't take it properly

your symptoms don't go away

you were treated for chlamydia while you're pregnant

If you're under 25 years of age, you should be offered a repeat test for chlamydia three months after finishing your treatment because you're at a higher risk of catching it again.

Testing and treating sexual partners

If you test positive for chlamydia, it's important that your current sexual partner and any other sexual partners you've had during the past six months are also tested and treated.

A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.

The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.

Complications of chlamydia

If chlamydia isn't treated, it can sometimes spread and cause potentially serious problems.

Complications in men

Inflammation of the testicles

In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis (tubes that carry sperm from the testicles), causing them to become painful and swollen. This is known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis.

The inflammation is usually treated with antibiotics. If it's not treated, there's a possibility it could affect your fertility.

Reactive arthritis

Chlamydia is the most common cause of sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA). This is where your joints, eyes or urethra (the tube urine passes out of the body through) become inflamed, usually within the first few weeks after having chlamydia.

It can affect women who have had chlamydia, but is more common in men.

The symptoms of PID are generally similar to the symptoms of chlamydia , including discomfort or pain during sex, pain during urination, and bleeding between periods and after sex.

PID is usually treated with a two-week course of antibiotics . The risk of experiencing problems such as infertility is lower if it's treated early, so it's important to seek medical advice as soon as possible if you have symptoms of the condition.

Pregnancy complications

If you have chlamydia that's not treated while you're pregnant, there's a chance you could pass the infection on to your baby. If this happens, your baby may develop an eye infection (conjunctivitis) and lung infection (pneumonia).

If your baby has symptoms of these conditions, your midwife or doctor can arrange for a test to check for chlamydia and antibiotics can be used to treat the infection.

Untreated chlamydia in pregnancy may also increase the risk of your baby being born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or with a low birth weight, and might mean you're more likely to have a miscarriage or stillbirth .

For more health articles, information or to use our symptom checker click here

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Your.MD Local Advice (Kenya)

If you are concerned about Chlamydia you should always contact emergency services or visit a Health Centre, Hospital, nurse or doctor. The Kenya Master Health Facility list is an online list hospital and health centre addresses and contact details. If you would like more information on sexual health, contraception or family planning the charity Marie Stopes provide advice and services for people living in Kenya.